The Nigerian military today said a suspect has been arrested in connection with the recent Jos, Plateau state bombings even as it rebuffed the United States which expressed doubts over the military's earlier claim that it has located where the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents are being held.
The US Department of states had said that the claim by the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff could not be verified. However, the military in an apparent reaction to the US jabs insisted that it is aware of the locations where the abducted Chibok secondary school girls are being held.
Defence Spokesperson, Major general Chris Olukolade who spoke at the regular briefing by the National Information Centre, which holds at the headquarters of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Abuja said “let everyone believe what the Chief of Defence Staff said and if you don’t believe, wait for developments but our interest is in the safety of these children and every effort will be put towards that and we expect cooperation from everyone. We remain with the position taken by the CDS. When we have any further comments or developments, the nation will be told.”
Speaking on the attack on recent attacks on Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Olukolade confirmed that 12 soldiers and 13 policemen were killed during the fighting but denied insinuations that the troops in Buni Yadi were abandoned by the military command during the hours of the incident.
“The logistics will have to be understood and it will not be proper just to conclude that there were no help or response. However, we will continue to respond based on logistics that is available and information that is made available as quickly as possible”, he said.
The military spokesperson responded to a question about reports that the terrorists have hoisted their flags in some communities in Borno State by simply reiterating the determination of the Nigerian military to continue to defend territorial integrity of the country.
“Nigerian armed forces will not allow any portion of this country to bear any strange flag. It is our duty and responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of this country. We will not allow any strange flag to fly anywhere”, he promised.
Olukolade disclosed that based on intelligence reports and information provided by Nigerians, a number of arrests have been made in different parts of Kaduna and Zamfara states and thus reducing terror activities tremendously in those parts.
“Troops have continued to raid different locations. A number of arrests has been made in Kachia and Zamfara”, he said while adding that in the course of the raids, some suspects died while exchanging gunfire with troops while arms and ammunitions were recovered in the process. He added that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the Jos bombing.